[toufka]

Yep - cells would die. ...UNTIL they accrue enough dna damage to accidentally either:

- create a new way to generate thymidine

- fall into a proliferation strategy that no longer needs thymidine

Human cells did the same thing and created checkpoints to preclude malignant growth. There are a number of checkpoints already employed in your own bodies. But if you accrue enough DNA damage, you can get around each of those checkpoints (and get cancer):

- IF too much DNA damage, then die

- IF divided too many times, then die

- IF committed to die, actually die

But if a cell collects enough damage, it can get around ALL of the checkpoints. And evolution has shown us that there is no perfect watcher of the watchmen. Still pretty cool to create a new checkpoint this way.

[ASalazarMX]

If I was in an environment where such strong mutations can happen in a single generation of non-reproducing cells, I'd ve very worried about the health of my original cells.

[toufka]

What about the heterogeneity of the original cells?